Cigarette substitute device

ABSTRACT

A spot-heating cigarette substitute device, which, in response to an electric power supplies and suction by a user, evaporates nicotine mixture and delivers them to the user. The device has a porous solid chip; an electric circuit is embedded therein for providing heat necessary for evaporating the nicotinic compound. A solution of a nicotine in an amount effective for its released vapors to satisfy the physiological needs for nicotine of the user, and volatile palatability enhancing agents in an amounts effective for their released vapors to impart a cigarette-like taste and aroma to the released vapor mixture are absorbed in the chip. The cigarette substitute is in custody in a case when not in use.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a cigarette substitute device for spot-heatinguse and, more particularly, to such a device adapted to deliver to auser nicotine and volatile palatability enhancing agent's mixture havinga cigarette-like taste and aroma.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The hazardous effect of second-hand smoke is known as the same as adirect smoke. Smoking is prohibited even on open public space such asU.S. Californian beaches. Such social pressures make habitual smokersunpleasant. Not only for the addictive effect of the Nicotine, there areseveral psychological factors, which are known to contribute to thehabitual smoker's cigarette cravings. These include holding thecigarette, placing it between the user's lips, puffing on it, andexperiencing the taste and aroma of the smoke. It is a purpose of thecurrent application to provide a cigarette substitute device to minimizethe hazardous of second-smoke, meanwhile satisfying the habitualsmoker's cigarette cravings without breaking the public requirement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTS

The growing public unacceptability of smoking cigarette, encouraged toprovide cigarette substitute devices for use which simulate the look,feel and taste of combustible cigarettes and delivers nicotine vapor tothe user through inhalation. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,284,089 and 4,813,437 toRay, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,366 to Hill illustrate devices which areconsist of an elongated tube having the approximate dimensions of anordinary cigarette and housing a porous polymer plug serving as areservoir for a source of vaporizable nicotine. The nicotine vapors aredelivered to the user's lungs by the air drawn through the device bysuction supplied by the user. These devices have failed to gain wideacceptance as a cigarette substitute due to their inability to deliversufficient and uniform amounts of nicotine to the user's lungs, anunpleasant taste, and an unsatisfactory shelf life. Most of theseproblems are due to the instability of the volatile liquid nicotineemployed in these devices, which decompose in the presence of oxygen andvery rapidly dissipate from the system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,371 to Roseet al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,789 to Bankert et al., and U.S. Pat. No.6,041,790 to Smith et al. illustrate non-pyrolytic, non-Nicotinecigarette substitute devices which contains a nicotine-simulating vapormixture having a cigarette-like taste and aroma. None of the prior artsprovide cigarette substitute device satisfying all the requirement ofsmokers and non-smokers at the same time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the above-describedprior art non-heating cigarette substitute devices, by providing acigarette substitute device for spot-heating use which, in response tosuction supplied by a user, delivers to the user's lungs nicotine vapormixture having a cigarette-like taste and aroma. The cigarettesubstitute device of the current application has a porous solid chip, anelectric circuit is embedded therein for providing heat necessary forevaporating the nicotinic compound and turn on a light installed at thetip of the cigarette substitute to simulate the burning of thecigarette. And a solution of a nicotine in an amount effective for itsreleased vapors to satisfy the physiological needs for nicotine of theuser, and volatile palatability enhancing agents in amounts effectivefor their released vapors to impart a cigarette-like taste and aroma tothe released vapor mixture are absorbed in the chip. The chips containsNicotine amount equivalent to about two weeks needs for average smokerswho smokes a pack of 20 cigarettes a day. The cigarette substitute ofthe current application is in custody in a case, when not in use, toreserve the aroma of the cigarette in the substitute.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in longitudinal section illustrating thepreferred embodiment of the cigarette substitute device utilizing thefeatures of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion ‘A’ in FIG. 1,showing the front tip of the cigarette substitute device.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion ‘B’ in FIG. 1,showing the middle part of the cigarette substitute device of thecurrent application.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the portion ‘B’ along the line“A-A′” in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion ‘C’ in FIG. 1,showing the electric shorting connector embedded in the porous chip.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion ‘D’ in FIG. 1,showing the mouth tip of the cigarette substitute device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of the cigarette substitute in a holdingcase.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in longitudinal section illustrating thepreferred embodiment of the cigarette substitute device (1) utilizingthe features of the current application. The cigarette substitute device(1) of the present invention is comprised of a housing (2) in the formof an elongated tube, a mouth tip (3), an LED (Light Emitting Diode)(4), a porous chip (5), three 3 Volt mini-battiest (6) with 7 mmdiameter, two electric wires (7-U) and (7-L), an electric shortingconnector (8), an on/off electric connector (9), and a sliding knob(10). The housing (2) is preferably manufactured of a stiff plasticsheet with a diameter, length and weight which approximate the size of aconventional combustible cigarette, and with the appropriate color andtexture, a white paper like look with proper commercial trade mark onit, to present the same appearance as a conventional combustiblecigarette.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion ‘A’ in FIG. 1,showing the front tip of the cigarette substitute device (1). The tip iscomprised of a red color LED (4), whose front face is partially coveredwith white gray color wrinkles (4-1), resembling cigarette fire coveredwith ash. Just behind the LED (4), a porous hemi-circle (11) for airinlet is developed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion ‘B’ in FIG. 1,showing the middle part of the cigarette substitute device (1) of thecurrent application (1). A groove (12) is developed for sliding of theknob (10). And FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the portion ‘B’ alongthe line “A-A′” in FIG. 1. The porous chip (5) is manufactured as a thinplate of 3 mm thickness to allow the evaporated Nicotine mixture comeout of the chip (5) easily.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion ‘C’ in FIG. 1,showing the electric shortening connector (8) embedded in the porouschip (5). An electric heating coil (8-3) may be installed instead of theshorting connector. Mixtures of Nicotine and volatile palatabilityenhancing agents are absorbed in the pores (5-1) of the porous chip (5).A cylindrical hole (5-2) is developed at the center of the chip (5)throughout the whole length of the chip (5) for allowing the chip (5)move front and back according to the sliding knob (10)′ movement. Thisporous chip (5) may be manufactured as a slim plate or a rod with aporous polymeric material, preferably in the form of polymeric fibers,and having absorbed therein the volatile liquid composition of mixtureof nicotine and volatile palatability enhancing agents. Disposed withinthe porous chip (5) is an electric shortening connector (8). Thiselectric shortening connector is comprised of two electric wires (7-U)whose ends are spaced 0.01 mm part (8-1) on a non-conductive ceramicsupport (8-2) plate of 1.0 mm thickness, 1.0 mm width and 5 mm length.If an electric heating coil (8-3) is installed inspite of the electricshortening (8) connector, the ceramic support may not be necessary.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion ‘D’ in FIG. 1,showing the lipping tip (3) of the cigarette substitute device (1). Anon/off electric connector (9) is located between the two lips of thelipping tip (3). The on/off electric connector (9) is comprised of twometal chips of (9-U) and (9-L) which are connected to the electric wires(7-U) and (7-L), respectively)

The cigarette substitute device (1) of the current application operatesas follows. Aqueous mixture of Nicotine and volatile palatabilityenhancing agents are absorbed in the pores of the porous chip (5). Theporous chip (5) is made of porous polymer.

When a habitual smoker put the cigarette substitute device (1) of thecurrent application between his lips and presses the lipping tip (3) ofthe device, the two metal plates (9-U) and (9-L) of the on/off electricconnector (9) is connected. Then the electric circuit is connectedthrough the electric wires (7-U) and (7-L), three batteries (6), and thered color LED (4). However, as described before, the upper electric wire(7-U) is a 0.01 mm spaced apart. As the electric circuit is connected,an electric fire sparks on this spot (8). At the same time the red colorLED (4) blinks as the spark takes place. Then the red color of the LED(4) combined with the white gray color wrinkles (4-1) resembles asmoking fire under an ash.

The heat from the spark evaporates the mixture of the Nicotine andvolatile palatability enhancing agents out of the porous chip (5) fromthe pores (5-1) therein. As the smoker puffs, the evaporated mixture isdelivered to the smokers mouth by the air stream which comes from theout side through the porous hemi circle (11) developed just behind thered color LED (4). When a smoker purchases the cigarette substitutedevice (1) from a market, the porous chip (5) is placed at the mostrearward of the device. Therefore, the nicotine mixtures absorbed at themost front side of the porous chip evaporates and is consumed first. Asthe Nicotine mixture is consumed, slide the knob (10) to the front sideof the device (2) to make the unevaporized Nicotine mixture with thesparking spot (8). FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of the cigarettesubstitute (1) in a holding case (13). The holding case is made of,including but not limited to, a metal, plastic, and wood. Places forspare porous chips (5-1) and spare batteries (6-1).

By utilizing the device of the current application, the smoker cansatisfy his or her cigarette carvings without facing the publicresistance.

1. A cigarette substitute device for spot-heating use is comprised of;a) an elongated plastic tube defining a passageway for air drawn throughsaid device; b) a porous polymeric chip in a plate shape slidablydisposed within the tube and absorbing the mixture of Nicotine andvolatile palatability enhancing agents, c) a sliding knob connected tothe porous plastic chip in a plate shape to slide the plate along thegroove developed on the plastic tube d) a red color LED (Light EmittingDiode) positioned at the front of the tube, e) three 3V mini batteriesconnected in series, f) a mouth tip made of transparent flexible plasticand holding two metal plates of an on/off electric connector on eachupper and lower portion of the flexible mouth tip, and g) an electricwire connected to the LED, batteries, the metal plates of the on/offelectric wire and forming a shortening circuit in the porous polymericchip.
 2. The cigarette substitute device of claim 1, wherein the porouspolymer chip is in a cylinder form of 3 mm in diameter.
 3. A cigarettesubstitute device for spot-heating use is comprised of; a) an elongatedplastic tube defining a passageway for air drawn through said device; b)a porous polymeric chip in a plate shape slidably disposed within thetube and absorbing the mixture of Nicotine and volatile palatabilityenhancing agents, c) a sliding knob connected to the porous plastic chipin a plate shape to slide the plate along the groove developed on theplastic tube d) a red color LED (Light Emitting Diode) positioned at thefront of the tube, e) three 3V mini batteries connected in series, f) amouth tip made of transparent flexible plastic and holding two metalplates of an on/off electric connector on each upper and lower portionof the flexible mouth tip, and g) an electric wire connected to the LED,batteries, the metal plates of the on/off electric wire and a heatingcoil in the porous polymeric chip.